On Fri, 2002-01-18 at 06:30, Stefano Mazzocchi wrote: <snip> > > I think there are just a few software patents that really deserve their > status (the RSA encryption algorithm, for example) but there are *TONS* > that don't. Or, at least, I would *personally* have came out with if I > had to build a system of that sort. Almost all speech recognition > patents are dumb, but they use very complex math so they scare the crap > out of the patent office! like using convolutions to match signals! wow, > that's non-obvious! NOT! > > good for Cauchy and Cantor that aren't here to witness the result of > their geniality :( > > Patents aren't the problem: the incredible ignorance of the US patent > office is! >
I dunno. Personally I agree with the author of this page, that it equates to a theorem and I don't think that mathematical laws should be patentable. At the very least I think the patents run for way too long. US Patent laws were base on the idea that you'd have to build a big factory and ramp up for production in order to profit from an invention or sell it to someone who can. This isn't necessarily the case for software. Next, a 6-12 months cycle can be a lifetime in software, let alone several years. I'm a bit leftist on software patents. I think they stifle innovation. I think progress is a community effort. We'll have to agree to disagree on the idea of software patents. Lastly, from a practical standpoint -- it would be very difficult to apply them intelligently as you suggest. Maybe as the economy melts down, it will get easier. The truth of the matter is what software guy who is general enough to understand all of the different kinds of software patent submissions he gets in and yet smart enough to be able to understand the more complicated ones would want this kind of boring, thankless, probably low paying job? I'd hate to be the guy/gal that staffs that office. -Andy > -- > Stefano Mazzocchi One must still have chaos in oneself to be > able to give birth to a dancing star. > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Friedrich Nietzsche > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -- www.superlinksoftware.com www.sourceforge.net/projects/poi - port of Excel format to java http://developer.java.sun.com/developer/bugParade/bugs/4487555.html - fix java generics! The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote. -Ambassador Kosh --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
